Contrary to popular belief, visits from family members can help improve the quality of life in dementia patients—even if they can’t recognize their family. Social visits help all people, but dementia patients especially, to feel loved, cheerful, safe, and at-ease. “A survey found that 42% of the public think there is no point in keeping up contact at this stage [of dementia]. [But] Even as the condition progresses, it said people with dementia can still hold an “emotional memory”. This means they continue to feel happy long after a visit or experience that they may have forgotten.” Connection is extremely important for the progress and overall quality of life in patients with dementia. 

Cravings after alcohol consumption may not be to blame for your extra pounds. While many people think alcohol is the culprit for the junk food cravings that make them gain weight, a new small study believes that is not the case. “[In the study] After drinking their beverages…women were asked to fill out a food craving questionnaire and complete a challenging task. After that, the women were given chocolate chip cookies and were told they can eat as much or as little as they wanted. The women who drank alcohol performed worse in the task compared to the women in the placebo group, and they ate more cookies. The researchers suggest that the reason the women ate more calories was because their inhibitory control was impaired…” The study concluded that while more research needed to be done, alcohol is mostly likely linked to weight gain because of lack of self-control and logical judgement, rather than alleged cravings. 

Aspirin may aid in decreasing the risk of prostate cancer. After being diagnosed with prostate cancer, an aspirin regime three times a week may help the cancer from progressing. “The analysis found that regular aspirin resulted in a 24% lower risk of developing lethal cancer after being diagnosed with an early stage of the disease, and a 39% reduced risk of dying from prostate cancer.” While the research was promising, the preventative benefits of aspirin on prostate cancer have not been pinned down or proven.